Raidió na Life won the award for Radio Station of the Year at the 2022 Celtic Media Awards held in Quimper, Brittany from 7th - 9th June 2022.

The community station won the award in a category which saw stiff competition from 8 public service stations: 6 BBC stations, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta; and Galicia’s Radio Galega.

Upon the announcement of the award, Muiris Ó Fiannachta, Station Manager of Raidió na Life said:

“It is a great honour for us to win Radio Station of the Year at the Celtic Media Festival again. Competing with large, professional, and heavily funded stations such as BBC and RTÉ stations, we are extremely proud that the judges recognised just how special a station Raidió na Life is – our energy, diversity, vibrancy, innovation, fun and spirit and that of the fantastic programmes we broadcast.

The choice of radio programmes in Irish which can be heard on Raidió na Life is broader than that which you fill find on any other station! We have programmes aimed at young people, pop, rock and alternative music shows all presented as Gaeilge, and we have special interest speech programming covering everything from women’s affairs to LGBTQI issues to mental health discussions to mention but a fraction of what can be heard on the station’s talk shows. We also broadcast a plethora of niche music shows – from rap and hip hop to world music, and from drum n’ bass to traditional Irish – and everything in between, often giving airtime to genres and artists usually ignored by mainstream radio stations, something we are also very proud of.

For almost thirty years, we have provided a modern and original all-Irish radio station in the greater Dublin area. In the digital age in which we now live, we also provide an online service to Irish speakers nationally, and indeed globally, with more people listening to us than ever before and more people also taking part in the station.

We are a small station. We operate for the most part with volunteer broadcasters and with very limited resources, but we achieve a huge amount with what little we have. It is a source of tremendous pride for us to win such a prestigious international award as this.”

The international Radio Station of the Year award gives recognition to the unique, progressive and high-quality broadcasting being undertaken by Raidió na Life. This community station broadcasts from the centre of the capital city, in Dublin 1. Funding from Foras na Gaeilge allows the station to employ a small full-time staff of three and two part-time staff, as well as providing the broadcasting and training facilities which enable and empower over 100 volunteer broadcasters – especially young people with an interest in the Irish language – to prepare and present radio programmes through their native language every week. This provides an opportunity for volunteers to learn and develop broadcasting skills, build self-confidence, and practice and improve their Irish in a fun and enjoyable environment.

Raidió na Life Chairman, Cuan Ó Seireadáin, said:

“We are very proud of the role which Raidió na Life plays in the community, the atmosphere and the positive culture it cultivates towards the Irish language, and we are very thankful to Foras na Gaeilge, the BAI and the Irish language community for their continued funding and support. That funding and support allows us to achieve all that we do. This award is tremendous recognition of what we ourselves believe about Raidió na Life – that we are one of the most important and one of the best Celtic radio stations in existence.”

Muiris Ó Fiannachta continued:

“We want to thank the panel of judges at the Celtic Media Festival for recognising Raidió na Life as Radio Station of the Year again in 2022. This is amazing recognition for the creative, energetic, diligent work which our volunteer broadcasters put into the station, and, of course, our amazing team who perform small miracles every day, keeping the show on the road and the station on air. There are more paid staff working on individual programmes on the other stations nominated for this award this year than we have working in the entire station! That is no small feat!

We’d like to thank every volunteer broadcaster and our voluntary board as well. Everyone brings something special with them to Raidió na Life, helping us to provide an exceptional, diverse, and multi-faceted Irish language radio station to Dublin – and in the age in which we now live, when almost any radio station can be heard online, no matter where you live – to Irish speakers all over the country and all over the world.

To anyone who has never listened to us before, or who hasn’t listened in a while, why not tune in and enjoy the best Irish language radio station, Radio Station of the Year, Raidió na Life! We’re on 106.4FM in Dublin and online worldwide, at www.raidionalife.ie.”

For more information, contact Muiris Ó Fiannachta, Station Manager, Raidió na Life at 086 138 1051 / muiris@raidionalife.ie